Location & Atmosphere Pho Basil in Boston offers a cozy and casual setting, perfect for a laid-back meal. The ambiance is relaxed, with simple decor that makes it a comfortable spot for both solo diners and small groups. Its convenient location makes it a popular stop for a quick bite or a casual hangout. Food & Drinks We started with the Thai tea, which was deliciously potent with a strong tea flavor balanced by creamy sweetness--definitely a standout. The Gyoza were lightly pan-fried to a crisp, with a perfectly seasoned filling that made each bite satisfying. For the main dish, we had the Pho Dac Biet. The broth had a pleasant hint of sweetness and a flavorful finish, which helped carry the dish. However, the noodles were a bit clumped together--likely from being prepackaged--so you had to work a little with your chopsticks to separate them. The toppings were sparse, making the bowl feel somewhat lacking in heartiness. ‍ Service & Hospitality The service was fine but could have been more attentive. It felt a bit disjointed, as multiple staff members were helping intermittently, making it unclear who to turn to. There were moments where we were left hanging for a bit, which took away from the overall experience. Unique Selling Point Pho Basil in Boston shines with its well-crafted beverages and appetizers. The Thai tea and Gyoza were definite highlights, making it a solid choice for those seeking flavorful starters and refreshing drinks. The Pho Dac Biet had a tasty broth, but the prepackaged noodles and sparse toppings slightly detracted from the experience. More attentive service would further enhance the visit. read more

I haven't written one of these in a while, but I felt compelled to sign on once again and write my heart out about Pho Basil. First, I usually order my dinner here. I grab the Low Cal entree. I am especially fond of their complimentary desserts they throw in the takeout bag. Once I told the familiar lady at the checkout counter that I liked a specific dessert. She told me they rotate the desserts and they didn't have what I wanted tonight (coconut rice with some cream stuff on top!)...but she made extra sure that the cooks put two desserts in my bag anyway. I am now fond of all their free desserts:) Secondly, tonight I had a severe and unhealthy craving for a burger, but I went to Pho Basil to cure myself instead. I was extremely pleased with their teriyaki salmon (which I ordered with the sauce on the side and about a million other substitutions for my various allergies)...It was the best damn salmon I've ever had that close to my apartment. Very nicely priced. And I was able to avoid the burger. The waiters and waitresses are so nice. They treat you like they know you. My only qualm is that they changed their music to some very classy jazz, which is actually charming but makes the place feel a little more upscale. I was truly in love with this place when they played the hits of the 80s and 90s from a Boston soft rock station. It reminded me of the "good old days." read more

I've probably been to four or five Thai/Vietnamese restaurants around Boston, and I have to say Pho basil is the best one I've been to yet. I have tried several dishes on the menu. The first thing you should start with as an appetizer is the spicy crab Rangoon, hands down the best crab Rangoon I have ever had. I believe it comes with five or six rangoons . My favorite entrée dish is Ca Ry Xao (yellow Vietnamese curry), it's excellent. I have tried one or two others for their curry, but to me, this one is by far their best. I enjoy the Pad Thai at Pho Basil, but I have tasted better pad Thai. Nevertheless it is still better than most places can make it, from what I've experienced. The average price of an entrée dish is around $10.00 and the portion size is very generous. *They have a large vegetarian section, for those who are interested, and almost any plate can substitute chicken/beef etc. for tofu. My one complaint is that, like most Thai/Vietnamese restaurants that I have been to, this place flip tables very quickly which makes for a quick meal in some cases. Definitely recommend and I would recommend getting the spicy crab Rangoon as an app to start! read more

I really do think Pho Basil is one of the best Thai places in town. During the winter my go to meals consist of duck noodle soup or pho ga. I'm generally a fan of most of their menu but favorites would include the above, pad see you, and their lychee duck curry (which is a bit spicy for mild me but worth it). Yum! The specials are on the sandwich board outside, on the chalkboard as soon as you walk in, and on the table. Seems easy but once you fall into a routine dish, you forget to look. The lunch special consists of soup, choice of appetizer, and main dish. Definitely reasonable and filling. The staff is very friendly and after just a few visits (and my adoration of their duck noodle soup), they remembered who I was. They're also very attentive. The one drawback is their appetizers. Nothing has ever wowed me. Stick with their amazing entrees and you'll be good to go! It's close to both the Hynes Convention Center T stop and Symphony T stop, so it's easy to get to. Since they don't have a patio, get your food to go and hang out across the street at the reflecting pool on nicer days. read more

I've been in a ton of Vietnamese restaurants in Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, and South Jersey. This location is the cleanest, and most pleasant I've ever been in. Usually I walk into a restaurant packed with people. Sometimes I have to sit with people I don't know (*cough Pho Pasteur Chinatown cough*), feel the need to wipe down my eating utensils, or feel like I am being rushed out of there. Not the case here. I ordered the Vermicelli Chicken Lemongrass bowl and threw in a spring roll.( I like to test out spring rolls at different restaurants to see if they were frozen or fresh) Frozen ones have this dull taste to them, but at Pho Basil...they were perfect AND NOT GREASY. The vegetables were crisp, the utensils were clean, I had my own table, and the waitresses were nice and made me feel welcome. I am looking forward to bringing my friends and family to this place. I am so happy to find a Vietnamese restaurant close to me. They have Thai food too! read more

Greatly disappointed by this place especially since it has such a great reputation for its "asian" food. We got the menu and I think the best part of the meal was my dessert which was the coconut cake. Otherwise, everything else was a complete miss. While the appetizers were ok, you can get these at any vietnamese restaurant for a LOT LOT LESS. Then the entrees... my "filet mignon" was a complete joke and while I didn't taste the fish, I was told that it was just like any regular miso fish. I was truly let down by the taste, quality, and even service of this place. For a restaurant with such a reputation I was sorely let down by everything this place is about. Maybe I didn't try the signature garlic noodles, but really you can't rely on one dish for your restaurant's name and reputation. If this (the food I got) is what people usually get from this place WHY IS IT STILL SO POPULAR, OVERPRICED, AND SO HIGHLY REGARDED???!?!? read more

I am reviewing for Pho Basil's service. I ordered through Uber Eats for a pickup order. When my partner went to pick up the order, he was confronted by a hostile worker who said she would report him to Uber Eats for not wearing a mask. 1. He was not an Uber Driver... 2. I am not sure what Uber's policy is, but there is no law mandating the general public wear masks in Boston at the time of this review. 3. We have had a difficult time getting masks during these times. However, we practice social distancing from workers and customers. The restaurant had screens between him and the worker as well. My partner left in shock and did not say anything. However, I felt the need to share this because this kind of a service it not acceptable. These are some tough times... read more

Pho Basil is on my list of top Asian restaurants in the Boston area! I typically stay away from mixed restaurants since normally they aren't very good... but every food item I've ordered from here has been delicious. Thai and Vietnamese are two of my favorite Asian cuisines too so having both in one restaurant is a plus! Pros: Servers super friendly, relatively big portions considering the price, all da food -- you can't go wrong with what your order. The pho, tom yum, drunken noodles, duck, curry, pad sew, spring rolls, etc all hit the spot! Cons: No reservations, always a wait (since it's so damn good), and not much parking in the area. Didn't expect to find such a good Viet/Thai place in Boston =] Definitely stop by here if you're in the area! read more

WORST service I've ever experienced in my life. And as a former employer in the restaurant industry, I am typically very sympathetic in these kinds of situations. With this one, there was NO excuse. For the record, I have just downloaded this app specifically so I could inform potential customers how terrible the service is at this restaurant. Waited 45 minutes for a table after being told 20 minutes. When we tried to pay at the end of our far too long experience, the waiter would not split our checks individually. We grouped our orders into two combined checks and the waiter still managed to put the wrong amounts on each credit card after taking 20 minutes to do so. Never eating here again. The service was HORRIBLE read more

Was craving Thai real hard in Back Bay. Like I needed it so badly and Pho Basil had great reviews. We were seated fairly quickly, although business was popping for a cold Monday night. My boyfriend and I decided to share the Pineapple Fried Rice with Pork, and the Duck in Green Curry Sauce with White Rice. He had a beer (Sapporo?) and I had a Thai Iced Tea. First off the portion sizes are amazing... i will never complain about too much food! I was planning on saving some for leftovers but someone had different ideas (he took the leftovers to work so they were gone before I woke up). Our drinks were good and the service is what you'd expect. Will definitely return when I'm in the area and craving Thai. read more

Whenever I go to Pho Basil, there's a quite long line to get a table. Waiting is worth to get great food there. The reason why I eliminate one star is because some food is too sweet for me when I order some fried noodle. sorry, can't remember the name. I've visited there more than 10 times and there was two mistakes which is not big deals. The waiter forgot my order so I had to wait for more than 30 mins to get my PHO while the other customers who had had seats after me got their PHO. On the another day, a waitress gave a bottle of beer which is wrong one. Once again, the mistakes are NOT huge matters. Definitely recommended for anyone. read more

I had a very enjoyable dinner at Pho Basil. I ordered the Pho Ga, and it was incredible - I feel like pho could be hit or miss, and this was definitely a hit. The broth was so flavorful and fresh, and the portion of noodles and chicken was very generous. There was a waiting list to get a table since there are no reservations, and the place is small and crowded, but it's also cozy. It's just the typical ambience of a well-priced, small, casual dinner spot. The service was great - our servers were helpful and kept checking on us, and the food came out surprisingly quick. Overall, it was a great experience, and I would return again! read more

LOVE this place! All of the appetizers and dipping accompaniments are delicious! The fresh spring rolls (Goi Cuon), Gyoza and Veggie Triangles are particularly worthy. Pho is everything is should be and more, served with a variety of meats, in very generous portions. Curry dishes are worth ordering, as are the Pad Thai's, but I always come back to the Drunken Noodles... mmmmm. We typically order soda's, two apps, a small Pho to share and an entrée or two and the bill is always WELL under $50, often under $40 (with tip). Enjoy, this is one of my favorite places in town for a cheap, satisfying meal! read more

Pho Basil is a Vietnamese restaurant conveniently located off Huntington Avenue, near the Prudential Center and Berklee College of Music. The food is solid overall, offering generous portions at a reasonable price. The pho features a rich, flavorful broth and plenty of noodles, though the meat portion could be more substantial. The appetizers and other dishes also look appealing and are well-prepared, adding to the variety. The staff are friendly and efficient, ensuring quick service even during busy times. Overall, Pho Basil is a great spot to grab a tasty and filling meal if you're in the area. read more

such a good thai place for both dining alone and eating with friends! went for the special lunch set, value-to-money, good location and decent food. anyway, what can you expect more for 10 bucks: gyoza, salad, soup, fried triangle, and a main?! The portion of the main is generous. My friend ordered seafood pad thai and it is very savory! I ordered the jumbo curry and it is bold, spicy and delicious! I would still say it is americanized thai and vietnamese food, (after all, most people can't take the authentic kind...) but good enough compared to other asian restaurants in the city! read more

It's my first time here, overall is good. It's full house when we arrived on the Saturday afternoon, be seated after 10 mins. Staffs are nice and efficient. Today I ordered a crispy beef pad Thai, this is totally different from what I expected, it turned out give u a feeling of eating snacks in stead of normal meal. My friend ordered a drunken noodle and its above average but bit salty. We also have the Roti n Curry Dip, the curry sauce is super delicious, I didn't let waitress to take the sauce away though I finished the roti, I kept the sauce for everything read more

A good stop on the Mass Ave. strip with a pretty solid menu in terms of diversity. Pros - Really large portions. Unless you dislike the food, it's hard to leave hungry. - Reasonably priced for the portions. - Amount of spiciness in the spicy dishes is reasonable Cons - Service could be better, we were served water at the beginning but cups were never refilled - Dishes were delivered as soon as they were ready. One of our plates came out relatively soon, but we could not start until ~10 minutes later as the Saigon Chicken took much longer to cook. read more

It's been about 4 years since I've last eaten here, I used to love this place, but it seems that things have gone downhill lately. I ordered the spicy eggplant w/ tofu and the side of white rice which was my go-to dish, and it was a letdown. The spicy eggplant had way too much sauce, which in turn made the eggplant and tofu mushy, it was soupy! Not only that, there were barely any eggplant in there for the price that you pay. No Bueno (không tốt) read more

The Pho bowls here are so good. I dont know what they put in the broth but it really adds a lot of flavor. Fairly priced and delicious, only reason it is not a 5-star review is because of how forgetful the staff can be, presumably because the restaurant is so busy all of the time. Not to say that the staff is bad by any means, they were incredibly friendly and caring, just a bit distracted is all. Great place! read more